Sunday, June 22, 2014

Magical Theory in the Kingdom of Amora:
I knew from the start I wanted The Fate Challenges to have magic. But what kind of magic? Wands? Nope, too Harry Potter-ish. Staffs? Lord of the Rings much? How about magic that comes from within? Yes, that type appealed to me. Then I had to think about what types of people would have these magical abilities.

The people from the Middlelands have magical powers, but their skills are more along the lines of herbs and light spells/curses. Their magic is more down to earth and is similar to what a shaman or herb witch might use.

The Great Beyonders (a.k.a. Norvadians) have magical abilities more in line to those the Royals of Amora have. The Norvadians live in the north, beyond the Great Mountains, and are the product of mating between humans and elves. They inherited their elf forefathers’ magical powers. To not have magic is weird to them, and those born without it are shunned and often forced to leave Norvadia.

Then, there are the Amorans. Only Royals have magic, but they also have an age restriction keeping them from their powers until their eighteenth birthdays. According to Theories of Magic, Royals, and Gods, Maxima the Younger writes, “When Apenth, the God of Prophecy, and Phoenix-Queen Amora had twins, the gods convened to decide what to do about their god-like powers. The gods placed a spell upon the twins, their children, and their children’s children, and so on and so forth, to keep their magical power contained until their eighteenth birthdays.

The gods’ decision is why Royal children cannot perform magic until they come of age.” Not all Royals have the same skills either. Maxima also writes, “Magic comes from within and uses its beholder’s energies. Using too much magic can harm and even kill the sorceress, so Royals must use their magic wisely. Not all Royals have strong magical tendencies either. The strongest ones are always closest to the queen and her direct familial line.”

So using these bases for their types of magic, I have been able to introduce it within the storyline for The Fate Challenges.

What kinds of magic do you like in fantasy stories?

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.
On the day of Yssa’s death and rebirth, the god Apenth chose her as the Phoenix Prophetess.

Sea serpents and gods endanger the young prophetess’s journey and sour the omens. Yssa is cursed instead of blessed, and her duties at the Temple of Apenth prove it. She spends her days reading dusty scrolls, which does nothing to help her forget Tym, the boy back home. But the annoying yet gorgeous ferryman’s son Liam proves to be a distraction she can’t predict, even though he rarely leaves her alone for two sand grains.

Her boring temple life screeches to a halt when visions of her parents’ murders consume her. Yssa races across an ocean to stop the future. If she can’t change Fate, she’ll refuse to be the Phoenix Prophetess any longer. Fate, however, has other plans for her and the kingdom.

Yssa must either accept her destiny or fight to change Fate.

The authors of Untethered Realms and I are giving away over $50 worth of books to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open internationally.
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A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror collection Nightmare, a space fantasy novella collection titled Gravity, and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. Reborn is her debut novel. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms. For more information, please visit her website.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

IWSG: Okay, this week I'm emerging from my Man Cave as there are two events that need my attention. Monday Carol Kilgore announced her cover reveal for Secrets Of Honor.

And today is the first Wednesday of the month. So ... guess what day it is. Okay, yes, it's Hump Day.

But it's also IWSG, and we all know if we don't participate then we get dropped from our position. Currently I'm at what I consider a coveted Top Ten position and my fear is that I will lose that. So I'm posting and breaking my vow of silence because my insecurity is that I'll be dropped from my spot, then have to start all over at the bottom of the list. Who wants to do that? Not me. Hey, I'm not that crazy.

Rumors Of My Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

That said, I'm also scared of the spiders and bugs in my cave. Slimy creepy crawly things that get in my beard and my nooks and crannies and such. Okay, TMI, I know.One more stop. That's this Thursday at the A to Z Challenge blog where every first and third Thursday of each month I post something fascinating about science or science fiction or something along those lines. So you won't want to miss that!And bonus points if you know what movie this bearded gentleman from Monday and today's post is from. No, it's not me. Really, it isn't.See you Thursday at A to Z Blog!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Emerging From My Man Cave: I've been on break from blogging but have emerged from my Man Cave (not much of a man cave, I know) to help Carol Kilgore promote her Cover Reveal for Secrets Of Honor.By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitely sleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.

As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of the first lady’s dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.

Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.

The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.

Meet The Author!

AUTHOR BIO: Carol writes grocery lists, texts to her family, new lyrics to old songs for her dogs, love notes to her husband, and novels for herself. And for you. In between, she blogs weekly at Under the Tiki Hut and is active on Facebook and Twitter.

She sees mystery and subterfuge everywhere. And she’s a sucker for a good love story—especially ones with humor and mystery. Crime Fiction with a Kiss gives her the latitude to mix and match throughout the broad mystery and romance genres. Having flexibility makes her heart happy.Best wishes to Carol and Secrets of Honor! And I'll stay emerged this week as there is IWSG on Wednesday. Then it's back to my Man cave until I finish the first section of Murcat Manor, get it off to my editor, and begin the querying process and find a publisher. See you all on Wednesday!